Ulster Wargames Society - A Black Sea incident circa 1991

Club meeting today and I participated in a naval game run by Jeremy M and others using Ship Wreck rules. 

The setting was 1991 with three naval squadrons each of three ships, of the Black Sea Fleet operating on said sea area under the overall Command of an Admiral (Charlie).

Each Squadron had a Commander and two other players commanding individual ships (to simplify matters no aircraft or submarines were available)

My ship (chosen randomly) was a Sovremenny Class Guided Missile Destroyer accompanied by another Sovremenny (Ian) and with our Commander (Ross) using an upgraded but vintage Nanuchta (I think) cruiser type. 

Note my knowledge of Soviet ship names/classes from period/game is ropey at best

Here is the information sheet for my craft (note showing damage and weapon system losses)

The rub for each squadron was that each ship additionally had a note to the effect that the crews loyalty was either pro-Moscow or pro-Kiev (Ukraine having just recently separated from Soviet Bloc) but no players was initially aware of where any other ships loyalties lay.

Overall scenario was that the Kuznetzov Aircraft Carrier had set sail from Sevastopol on a 'special mission' and it was then revealed via fleet wide radio transmission that the crew of the carrier had mutinied and orders were to intercept and return the vessel to Sevastopol or for those of a Muscovite proclivity to assist its escape from Black Sea via Bosphorus Straits.

Plotting board for operational area with note of my Ukrainian loyalty at top, table area was 4' x '4' (or a 'fight in a phone box' as Ross termed it). 

It should be noted that the three separate squadrons were set up on separate tables initially (although all part of same 4 x 4 operational area meaning no squadron had an exact location for the others until radar detection (Passive or active including some ship-borne helicopter activity) revealed locations. 

Once the location of Kuznetzov was revealed all squadrons would transfer to a single table for shenanigans to proceed in full

Once the message re the mutiny by Russian scum was revealed then searching began by each squadron and individual ships.

In our squadron I was lead ship followed by commander with Ians to rear (both he and I had scouting Ka-25 helos) but not knowing the loyalty of my squadron pals I broke formation early trying to put some nautical miles between us.

My ship leads the Squadron with helos being launched (Black chips denote radars set to passive, Red was for active), I then headed to 12 o'clock as they continued towards 2 o'clock but only for 2 turns before the big target appeared in close proximity to my 11 o'clock and all went to master table.

After a couple of turns of movement and radar detection the Kuznetzov was soon revealed to be in the company (ie it was using them as a screen) of several merchant ships or tankers from various nationalities (Turkish, Iranian, Indian and Italian).

This lead to all ships being transferred to the master table and as it turned out my ship was almost on top of the traitorous carrier !

It seemed no-one was wanting to declare their loyalty too soon (ie no shooting) but I decided to instantly raise my flag by shooting a warning shot across the bow of the carrier hoping to divert its course or stop its progress, this was of course ignored and then suddenly several ships in the vicinity launched missiles and blasted away with guns after seeing my action.

Indeed one fellow Ukrainian crew (Dave P) managed to send a missile my way (diverted by a target decoy) which thankfully missed.

The fleet Admiral sent out urgent and vehement messages (from Kiev) to all ships to stop all firing upon the carrier or indeed each other despite firing of a few salvoes of his own.

I dutifully did so only using my ordnance defensively but not so other traitorous crews and commanders with my squadron mates showing their Commie credentials by hurling waves of missiles and guns rounds at my ship. 

I soon took a ton of hits despite shooting down several SSMs and lost several weapon systems before damage was enough to send my heroic crew to the depths with their ship, Slava Ukraine !

Things then heated up for as players revealed (well mostly) their true colours with more exchanges of weaponry.

Several ships were hit with some damaged including critically whilst the Carrier and Merchants steamed south (before having to turn SSW toward straits).

Dave T (hero) did mange to impede the Kuznetzov forcing it to stop for one turn but at cost of his ship as pummeled by various traitors.

Fleet flagship (Charlie) was then set upon by his other Squadron mate (Mr B) whom he thought was Kiev friendly. 

As these exchanges of fire occurred time had to be called and with Ukrainian losses (3 of 4 ?) and Carriers progress (still well short of Straits but unlikely to be thwarted) it was declared a Russian success.

Just what the rest of world would think of this was a matter of much debate.

A lot of work put into setting up and running the game (10 players involved) and was good fun with an interesting scenario and period.

Rules being new to most of us Jeremy had a lot of queries to sort but it seemed to go well overall.

I found the sorting of available weapon systems and firing arcs, ammo usage the most confusing to comprehend initially. 

It is a D10 system with missiles firing first which can be intercepted or decoyed then guns/cannons open up in 6 possible sub-phases so a lot of shells can be fired depending on gun types, ranges and arcs. 

Not a lot of pics as not much to see initially and busy playing.

The initial maneuvering tables the wall being North for plotting purposes

Action has now transferred to master table (my ship beneath the waves at this stage) with Kuznetzov at bottom right hiding in cowardly fashion behind merchantmen

Also at club (usual proviso I know not what occurred)

A 6mm WW2 game set in Normandy 1944 with British vs Germans run by Mike and co (4 players ?)  using Combat HQ rules.

A 28mm Sharps Practice game run by Jeremy D set (I think) during America Revolution (again 4 players ?)

Ulster Wargames Society - Battle Of Tsushima and more

Society meeting today and I took part in a very engrossing naval game (not a genre I have played much at all) with Battle of Tsushima 1905 set up by Dave T using his very nice 1/24000th fleets.

I played as Japanese with Dave B as Russians with each ship model representing 2 real life equivalents.

Ground scale was I believe 10cm to 1 nautical mile, bit of record keeping required for each ship but nothing onerous as essentially just marking off hits/damage.

Rules were a set called Tsushima (no idea of publisher) and were pretty easy to grasp and play with each Division (2-4 ships) activating alternately with winner of turn initiative having choice to go first or second but firing first in firing phase.

Ships rated for armour in various aspects (hull, main guns and secondary guns) with varied amounts of main guns and secondary turrets to fore, aft, port and starboard with some having torpedoes.

Game sets up with Russians heading north shadowed by some Jap Cruisers and a horde of lowly Destroyers and main Jap fleet moving intercept from north.

Once units got into firing range things soon became a sort of slow moving 'dogfight' as I tried to maneuver to surround the Ivans.

Highlights were Russian shooting in general being awesome despite being inferior to Japs, Dave B just rolled a fearsome amount on 10s to hit (on D10) and I had a couple of ships with lots of holes but still afloat. 

Jap shooting was less than stellar with their Battleship flotilla shooting woefully throughout even when at short range with full broadside and 'crossing-the-T' for maximum opportunity !!

However  I did manage to roll two Critical Hits (out of several possible) that caused catastrophic explosions, with Ivans (I think) causing flooding and steerage damage with couple of their Critical Hits .

However even slowing a Russian tub effectively means it cannot escape (the Russian main aim) and I did send a few ships to bottom or damaged whilst suffering a couple of losses.

Another....umm......highlight was one of my Destroyers managing to hit a friendly Battleship and send itself to bottom in a sort of reverse Kamikaze.

As we wrapped things up it was decided that whilst Russians could likely exit two main ships the rest likely bottled up and so a marginal Japanese victory was declared.

Fun stuff and much kudos to Dave T for running the game.

Tough to take decent pics with phone of such tiny items which is a pity and nicely detailed and painted.

Japs disrupting the support types, note sunken marker for Russian vessel sent to find Mr Jones locker

My heavy Squadrons (centre right) after more ineffectual shooting on Ivans target (orange dice indicates Division has fired)

A Jap Destroyer has gone beneath the waves  after slamming into Fuji in middle of my Battleship flotilla

Divisions of both sides going hither and thither (red marker indicates a stopped vessel)

Both sides circling like sharks trying to get drop on enemy

One my Cruisers dead in the water (red marker) but managed to survive and repair dame to get underway again albeit slowly. His mate (at bottom) forced to break off from action

Jap light Cruisers use Evade status (Green marker) meaning slower, but hard to hit and less effective shooting as they try to go fore and aft of Ivans. Those bloody deadly Ivan yellow D10 visible

The frankly useless Jap Battleships (at bottom) steam ahead trading shots 

My Destroyer fleet ( at right) unable to join action until later

One of better pics of Russians at set up (Blogger insists on putting pics in reverse order)

And shadowing Japanese

Another view of Ivans at start

Bulk of their main fighting ships to left

Jap shadows at start

Also as club were other games (usual proviso that I had little time to see what occurred in each) 

Leslie and co played a Sudan game with very nice 10mm kit (rules unknown)

Andy ran a 28mm 'what if' 'Napoleonic game using GDA2 and Brits vs French (this was a small scale affair by Andy's usual standards)

Charlie and co had a Battle Tech game on some nicely complex terrain.

Ulster Wargames Society - Zoom game of 'Kiss Me Hardy'

Monthly meeting of club today (online of course) and David Pentland (artist of renown) set up a Napoleonic Naval game over zoom using 'Kiss Me Hardy' rules.

All brand new to me as not a naval buff at all but quite easy to pick up (with Daves direction) the basics.

Scenario was I believe set after Trafalgar with 4 French Ships trying to escape a pursuing British Squadron (also 4 but 1 delayed).

I was given command of a 3rd Rate French Frigate (?) named the 'Monte Blanc' which saw plenty of action I went straight at the oncoming British managing to rake 3 ships with broadsides and bow cannon, despite taking a pounding.

My ship and that of Dave Brown (cant recall name) ended up grappling each other and I was was in process of trying to repel boarders.

British ships similar in guns and ratings but seemed to have elite crews of 'Jack Tars' whilst French were mostly average crew.

Plenty of tacking into wind and broadsides and suchlike from all the other ships, with Dave (there are a glut of Daves in club !) Buick managing to sail his French ship for harbour which was I believe a French objective

All good fun even though we did not completely finish game.

Not sure what scale the ships were or manufacturer but they certainly looked good in action.

Only managed a quick screenshot.